Pulp Fiction (1994)
"The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption."
This is such a fun movie to not just watch, but to break down given how layered the film is. I'm not promising this to be a full on analysis of Pulp Fiction, but I will share any thoughts I have had after watching this movie a few times.
The movie starts of with a dictionary definition of 'Pulp Fiction,' saying a pulp fiction is "characteristically printed on rough, unfinished paper." Knowing the characters, the title now seems quite fitting. The pace and irony is set up brilliantly in the opening dining scene. You have a lovely young couple having a casual conversation about crime, and the scene ends with them starting a crime with upbeat music leading into the credits. That's pretty much the tone of the entire movie. You become attached to these nice people who are actually very horrible criminals and everything is so energetic and fun but with a serious undertone beneath.
As this movie is told in clear cut story segments, the 2nd segment is probably the most iconic as we're introduced to Vincent & Jules, played by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. Again with the irony, we follow their casual and light hearted conversation as they are on their way to massacre a bunch of people for their boss. This segment gave us the greatest SLJ moment of all time. Jackson's performance is so captivating here as he plays the hardcore hitman. But when he looks into the camera reciting that bible verse, that was just magic.
The next segment was all about Uma Thurman and her role as Mia. Her and Vincent had great chemistry on screen. There's a lot that can be broken down about their talk at the restaurant and the characters themselves, but I won't get into it. I really just want to talk about the performances because that's what stuck out to me the most in this part. Uma was really captivating as Mia and Travolta's performance when Mia overdosed really added to the intensity. Once again. there's a bit of irony for Vincent as he feared what Marcellus would do if he found out what happened. He thought once Mia was okay, it would all be fine and dandy, but he ends of dying literally the next day.
Now Butch's big segment was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in a movie. I mean I get it, but what the heck, you know? My big take away here is the story of the Watch. We're given a traumatic story via a five minute close up of Christopher Walken, and then we see Butch's own journey as he retrieves the watch from his apartment. The tales of the watch surrounds the idea of two men going through a harrowing experience to get the Watch from point A to point B. So there was a great parallel between generations. Also love Bruce Willis here, always fun watching him in any movie.
The final sequence is such a creative choice for so many reasons. First of all, after the rest of the film being very linear, for some reason we go back a couple days and return to Vincent & Jules. After my first watch, I spent days thinking of why they would do this, especially since we just saw Vincent get shot to death. Knowing Vincent is dead, you appreciate his comedic relationship with Jules a bit more, especially as they deal with the "Bonnie incident." I ultimately think the nonlinear order here has everything to do with Jules's verse, however. The segment kicks off with the same "look into the camera" moment from the beginning and goes from there.
They also end up in the diner that the couple form the beginning are in and are present when the couple robs it. This is where Jules himself breaks down the verse he's recited, giving his own interpretation. After my 2nd watch, this was the moment I believed to be the whole point of Pulp Fiction. - Not just a reason for nonlinearity, but the whole purpose of the film. I won't articulate my analysis completely, but I basically think that all the characters we've seen are trying to be the shepherds in their own story, that they, in their own way, are on the "path of the righteous man," trying to help those around them "through the valley of darkness." Your interpretation can be different than mine, but I do believe that this verse means everything to the story, which is why it was part of the last sequence, as well as a scene from the beginning.
Overall thoughts? This is a great movie. It's enjoyable for a casual viewer and can totally be ripped a part for analysis. The filmography was very great. There are 3 big one shot steady cam scenes that I love to watch - in the apartment, at the restaurant, and following Butch. The music was so fun and energetic and helped bring life to the film. The way the entire film was written is so unique and after 30 years is unlike anything we've seen in film. I just want to get into Tarantino's head for the creative vision. Like what was the purpose of the close ups with the piercing girl? Why have that 10 minute close up with Butch when he's introduced? What's the purpose of not revealing what was in the case?
So many little details, so much to enjoy. Pulp Fiction can viewed over and over again and a single person will notice something new every time. It's timeless, fun, well written, well acted, well filmed, and a true icon in film history.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆